^I)c farmer's iitoutljln bisitor. 



15 



which woiihl try llie cflU-ieiicy "f om" l>fi^t Eng- 

 lish ice-i)oiises,':S well iu< it does tlin constitution 

 ol' !Ui En:;hsliiniiii iii China. 



Tiio hdttoiii oT tin; ice-liouse is nciirly on ii 

 linel with the sniToiiiKlini.' lichls, noil is irciienilly 

 jiliniit 20 yiiriJs long hy 14 hroud. Thi- walls, 

 which an; huih with niud iinil stone, iiie very 

 thick, 12 ll'ct ill height, and are, in fact, a kind 

 ol' pnihiiiilviiienl father than walls, having a door 

 through Iheiii on one siilc, and a hind ol s!o|)iiig 

 terrace on the other, hy which the ice can he 

 thrown into the house. On the to|i of the walls 

 or eiidiankinent a tall S|)an rooC is raised, con- 

 structed (jf hanihoos tliickly ihatehed with straw, 

 giving the whole an appearance exactly re^eln- 

 hling uii Knglish hay->lack. .\nil this is the 

 simple stincttire which keeps ice- so well ilining^ 

 the snnitner iiiottlhs, iiiiiler the hiiriiiiig siiti of 

 China! The Chinaman, with his chinacieristie 

 iimenuily, inatiages also to lill his ice-hoiiM; iii a 

 most sitiiple wa)', and at a very trilling expimse. 

 ,\round ihi> house he has a small Hat level field, 

 which he lakes care to overllow in winter heh)re 

 the cohl wetitlicr comes. It then freezes, and 

 lin-nishes the necessiiry siijiply at the door. A- 

 gain, in sirring these stnne, fields are ploughed 

 up, and planted with rice; and any wttter which 

 comes f]om the hntioin of the ice-hoi:se is con- 

 veyed into itjeiti hy a drain conslrncted for the 

 purpose. Of coiir.se he "e, as in Kiigland, the ice 

 is carefully covered up wiih a thick coatiiiL' of 

 slraw when the house is filled. Tims the Clii- 

 iiiiinan, with little expense in hiiihiiiig his ice- 

 house, and an economical mode in filling it, 

 inaiinges to secure an ahundant supply for pre- 

 serving his fish during the hot sumnier moinhs. 

 This, 1 believe, is the only, or at least the princi- 

 pal purpose to which it is applied in this country, 

 and never for i-ooliiig wine, water, or making 

 ices, as we do in Knrope. 



It is now, I ihink, .-i (pieslion whether we 

 could not build ice-houses at less expense and 

 more efllcient, upon the Chinese phm than upon 

 the old uuder-groimd svsteiu eoininon in Eng- 

 land. " 



Effect of Galvanism on Plants. 



Some large stories were told last spring, in re- 

 gard to the power of Galvanism, in l'orv\arding 

 the growth of (iliinis in the g.-irden or fields. 

 During the last s'ummer many have tried the ex- 

 periment as recommeniled, hut either it was not 

 a frood year for Galvanism, or there is nothing 

 of any oonseipience iii the system, lo recom- 

 mend it. 



The editor of the Prairie Farmer thus very 

 sood iKitiiredly t(dls the results of his experi- 

 ments: — , 



Forcing Vegetables by Galva.nishi.— F nder 

 this title we published, e irly in the year, an arti- 

 cle giving an account of the wonders said lo he 

 wrought ill vegetaliim liy the u.^e (d' the g;dvanic 

 current produced by connecting copper and zinc 

 plates. The article was considerably copied, anil 

 •several experiments were |iut in operation under 

 its ilircciions. 



What is the result.-' We will briefiy stale our 

 e.\]>erieiice, which we believe lo he suhstaiitially 

 that of all till' rest, so far as we can learn. A 

 copper plate liiurleeii inches by lijur and a half 

 feet was buried, edge up, at one end of our gtir- 

 deii, and a siufilar one of zinc at the other — ilie 

 two being connected by a copper wire supported 

 on flakes about six lijet high. Ilelween the 

 plates were peas, cabbages, beets, carrots, pitiks, 

 tomatoes, potatoes, .ind parsnips; all of which 

 we cxpecled pretty cerlainly lo sec; leaping up in 

 the most precocious manner. To be sme that 

 the plates would grind out the lightning in the 

 most approved fiisliion, water was ti'eqiieully 

 poiued upon them, though they were binied three 

 inches below the surface. Thrice a day lliey 

 were visited, and various were the s(]iiiuliiigs, 

 and ineasurjngs, ami comparisons, lo make it ap- 

 pear that the galvanized vegetables were out- 

 stripping their ftillows — and now and then it 

 seeme<i that ihcy really were doing so — hut the 

 advantage always turned out liki' water or wood»i 

 seen by the wanderer on the prairie — mere seem- 

 ing so. •.'itwaj/s, we saiil; not always— once a 

 row of beets did greatly outgrow their follews ; 

 and bad this been the only vegetable concerned 

 in the trial, we might btive prnnoimced ir ji clear 

 ciise, and r-cported that the "galvanized beeis 

 grew thrice as large as llie others in the same 



time," for these really diil so. I'nt utdiappily 

 for the experiment this was an outside row, and 

 nmidi thinner than the oihers, and on examina- 

 tion proved to be of a difiijreni sort of be<'ts — 

 circumstances all innocent enough, hut too hea- 

 vilv clogged with truth lo permit a successful re- 

 port. 



not so treatctl, wi 

 is related that 

 Jhicc 



of I 



us if we 



wee 



u^licn *»iiii limn 1^' [ii.iiini.ti'm. i^.-.^oiiii ..- 



And here, it seems lo lis, lies the whole 

 case of Mr. Ross' potatoes, alluded to in our 

 liirmer article, whicli grew '• an inch and a quar- 

 ter in diameier, while oihers in the stimi; Meld, 

 so treatcti, were«io larger than ebeiries." It 

 supported his wire on the 

 Very likely then his large potatoes grew 

 n all outside row ; and we have all seen large 

 |iotaloes ill an oulsiik row! 'Ibis saves iMr. 

 Ross' honesty, hnl it does not save his experi- 

 ment. 



Upon our taking up the plates in the latter part 

 of summer they were perli'ctly biiglil, as when 

 laid down — showim; that the galvanic eurrenl 

 had been maintained. 



We find the above extract from iiii iieeouiit of 

 tlie " efiect of Galvanism on |.laiits" in the Rliiine 

 Farmer. It would appear that the editor of the 

 I'rairie Farmer, who relates his misiiecessliil ex- 

 perience, might have I, died to make a very im- 

 portant arrangement in conducting his galvanic 

 experiment — one without which a current of 

 electricity cannot be produced, any more than 

 Shakspeare's celebrated tragedy of "Uaiidet" 

 can be well acted, with the part of Hamlet omit- 

 ted, lie used MO wcj'rf— or what is occasionally 

 subsliinled fiir it, a saturated soluiion of Sal Am- 

 monia ; the lalter may be used with le.-'s danger 

 of accident to lliose imacqnaiiiled with the acid. 



We will stale an experiment recently tried by 

 Dr. Hatch, Assistant I'liysician of the N. II. In- 

 sane Asylum in this town, as it has been related 

 to us by a scientific gentleman whose veracity 

 we cannot doiilil. (Will Dr. II. give us the resiill 

 lis experiment from his own pen, and correct 

 ,1 we shall stale it errniieoosly .^) A few 

 ks since Dr. II. applied a small plate of co|i- 

 per and anniher of zinc, to a geraniiiiii — the 

 philips being embedded in the earth, three or four 

 inclies on each side of the stalk, and connected 

 together by a wire. The earth was kept moist ; 

 and a solution of acid and water (or of Sal .Am- 

 iiioiiia) having lieen prepared, a (iivv drops — say 

 from fifteen lo twenty — were iqiplied lo the 

 plates once in iwe or six days. The efl'ecls, we 

 are told, was to increase the size of the geraiiiiiui 

 live or six feet — it having, to apjiearances; imi- 

 tirely ceased growing for some months previous 

 to the trial of the experimenl. 



In preparing an acid liir a galvanic experiment 

 of ihis kind, we believe that the solution is iisu- 

 allv made of a quarter of an ounce of tniiriatie 

 acid to an ounce of water. Of course it must 

 not be suflfered to come in contact with the skin 

 or clothes of the experimenter. The inamier of 

 preparing a solution of Ammonia, we cannot 

 now state. — F. M. Visitor. 



Fine Wool. — Mr. Ebenezer Uridge, of Poin- 

 frel, Vl., has left with us some vvvy handsome 

 specimens of fine Aleriiio Wdol, which may be 

 seen at our coiiiililig-rooiii. One of these was 

 taken from a two years old ewe which yielded 

 .lercn pounds to a shearing, with a lamb by her 

 side. .Mr. B. infiirms us that this ewe, consider- 

 ing her age and size, to thi; best of his kuowl- 

 eilgi", has never been beaten by .luy other in tin; 

 slate of Vermont. Her weight, in .Itiiie last, at 

 the time of shearing, was only 1)2 pounds. 



On Draining. 



It is curious to notice the (diaiiges that are con- 

 stantly taking jdace in the advice and practice of 

 our most emineut men, who have lectured or 

 written on what it is now the fashion lo c.ill llior- 

 oi;g'/i dntininc;, but which has been known many 

 years ill some localities iu Worcestershire, by the 

 name oi' furrow draining. 



We first began under lliis system to pnl in the 

 drains just out of the reach of the plow, the 

 poaching of liorsi'S, or the sinking ol' wheels; 

 since that lime, we have been gradually descend- 

 ing inio the earth. .And I have lately seen advice 

 given in the public prints. In hore in the botiom 

 of our drains: from this we iriay be led to ex- 

 pect, that in a short time it will become all "one 

 concern." 



Asain, we were advised to put oyer onr drains, 

 whether made of tile, stone, nr olli<-r material, r-n 



many inches of broken stones, thorns, straw op 

 slubiile, to allow the water an easy passage lo the 

 drain; the raw subsoil, I'specially if it was clay, 

 was to be careliilly excluded in filling up, and 

 none but the adive soil used to cover the diain. 



Following this advice, many ihousand pounds 

 have been uselessly thrown away, and the drain- 

 age, in numberless in>'tances, is very imperfect. 

 One gentleman, whose writings and opiiiinns on 

 agricultural subjects have done good service lo 

 the cause, has hmiorably and candidly told us 

 that he expended some liundreds of pounds more 

 on a small est.ile in ihainiiig than was necessary, 

 bill then he was trying a mode perfectly original, 

 by putting the brnkeii stones imderiiealh, iind 

 the drain tile on the top. 



Our latest advice is, to put in (four deep) in any 

 soil, the smallest tile we can gel, with an aper- 

 ture of one inch in diameter, the subsoil to be 

 then put in. and if it is clay, so much the better, 

 and tiie firmer it is rammed in and made solid,' 

 llie more perfect will be the drainage. 



Here, then, we have extremes the very reverse 

 of each other, and each in Iheir turn have hud 

 their advocates, who would have felt displeased 

 to have their judgments doubled. 



It may, then, beco.ne a (pieslion with the young 

 farmer or commercial genileman who is anxious 

 to embark bis capital in scientific liirining, which 

 of these systems really is the best, and most 

 likely to insure a safe reimn for the amoimt of 

 capital invested. 



Oil this question, experii nee tells us — do not 

 implicitly believe or follow extremes on either 

 sidi', but judge for yourself, by trying their sys- 

 tems on a small scale, side by side, and do not 

 despise the practice of the neighborhood unlil 

 you have /jrocprf it erroiieou.s. It is loo much the 

 liishiou for experimenters and writers on agri- 

 culture to give llieir opinions as though one sys- 

 tem would suit all soils mid situations ; a greater 

 mistake cannot be ii::;de; what would suit in one 

 W'Oiild be worthless in luiotber, and vice rersa : 

 this applies not only lo draining, but also lo im- 

 plements, and everuhiiijr coiiiHX'ted with the cul- 

 livalioii of the soil. 



As regards pulling in tiles four feet deep for 

 surface (irainage, if it does answer well in some 

 iiislance.s, it is no proof that it would succeed in 

 all. In some siinalions it would be impossible 

 10 get proper oullalls for that depth, and in others 

 the expense would be very ciinsiderabli'. Now, 

 we should commence our draiuiiigs with good 

 oiitlidls, that the water may go off briskly ; if 

 dead levels are brought up lo the iiioiith of the 

 drains, the water moves ofl' sluggishly, and then 

 unless constant care is taken to keep the water- 

 courses scorned out, gr.-iss and weeds will soon 

 grow- up and stfip the ilrains. — R. Smith, in Lon- 

 don Agricull. Gaz. 



Cows i.\ Har.ness. — The following is from 

 the interesting work of Lady Van Rensalaer : 



" We look a drive yesterday u|i a most roman- 

 tic valley, and met iwo pea.sanls driving their 

 cow in a little carl. They stop|ied to ofl'er lis 

 some pears. I particularly remarked the cow, to 

 see if working did li^'r any harm; she was in 

 excellent condilioii. I wish the cottager in Eng- 

 land would adopt this ciisioiti ; it never comes 

 into his head ihat the cow can do anylhiiig bul^ 

 give milk. We know nothing of economy iu 

 Engl.iiid; what is daily wasted iu it would save 

 from siarvation the miserable creatures who rlie 

 in the streets. I5ut what is everybod\'s bnsiiiess 

 is nobody '.s, and so those w ho can afford it go on 

 allow ing waste." 



We have oiirself witnessed the docility of 

 these amialile and iiselul animals when subjected 

 to the surveillance of the yoke, and have often 

 fell surprised that a people so ^' cide" and enter- 

 prising in the great mailer of "turning a shil- 

 ling" as the Yankees are reputed lo be, should 

 iioi ofiener make them assi.-t iu the performance 

 of farm work. Speyed heifers are deigned as 

 valuable for work iu Scotland, so we are infiirm- 

 ed, as young oxen, and those who have practiced 

 using iheni for ihis purpose here, speak in the 

 highest terms of their Iractableness, their docility 

 and freedom from every thing like viciousness 

 under the \oke. — Maine Cult. 



Fresei^ving Poultry anu Game. — This deli- 

 cious nieai, and even small sheep, may be kept 

 fresh two nionihs of the winter, by first cooking, 



